GSLV’s communication satellite awaits take off on Dec 19

ISRO sources said that GSLV, in its 13th flight, will launch the 2,250 kg operational communication satellite – GSAT-7A – from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

A senior official from ISRO said that the countdown of the vehicle will start once there is a clearance from the Mission Readiness Review committee and Launch Authorisation Board. “Currently, the rocket is being moved from the vehicle assembly gallery to the launch pad”, he added.

The GSLV-F11 will inject GSAT-7A into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The satellite will be placed in its final Geostationary Orbit (GEO) using the onboard propulsion system. It will take a few days after its separation from the launcher to reach its orbital slot.

GSLV-F11 is ISRO’s fourth generation launch vehicle with three stages. The four liquid strap-ons and a solid rocket motor at the core form the first stage. The second stage is equipped with a high thrust engine using liquid fuel. The Cryogenic Upper Stage is the third stage of the vehicle.

GSAT-7A is the 35th Indian communication satellite built by ISRO. GSAT-7A Spacecraft is configured on ISRO’s standard I-2000 Kg (I-2K) Bus. The satellite is built to provide communication capability to the users in Ku-band over the Indian region.